Tag: LSU

Dec 1, 2025; Baton Rouge, LA, USA; LSU new head coach Lane Kiffin speaks at South Stadium Club at Tiger Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Matthew Hinton-Imagn Images

Five-star TE Ahmad Hudson stays in state, commits to LSU

Posted on | by Field Level Media

Five-star prospect Ahmad Hudson, regarded as the No. 1 tight end in the country in the Class of 2027, decided to stay in state and committed to LSU in a social media post on Sunday.

The Tigers and new head coach Lane Kiffin secured the pledge from Hudson, who was deciding between LSU and Nebraska as of last month and had publicized a commitment deadline of July 4.

A two-sport star at Ruston (La.) High School, Hudson is ranked the No. 1 tight end by ESPN and rated No. 18 overall in the country, first at his position and third in Louisiana in the 247Sports Composite rankings for the Class of 2027.

Listed at 6-foot-6 1/2 and 239 pounds, Hudson has 36 football offers, per 247Sports, as well as reports of basketball offers from Nebraska, LSU, Alabama, Auburn, Texas A&M, Missouri, Ole Miss, Louisiana Tech and Grambling.

He visited LSU multiple times this year and canceled official visits for Nebraska and Southern California in June.

Kiffin also secured pledges this year from Class of 2027 four-star prospects Jaiden Bryant (defensive end, Columbia, S.C.), Braylon Calais (wide receiver, Carencro, La.) and Ah’Mari Stevens (wide receiver, Hollywood, Fla.). The program also is holding a commitment from four-star quarterback Peyton Houston (Shreveport, La.), who chose LSU when Brian Kelly was head coach last September.

–Field Level Media

Jan 28, 2026; Mobile, AL, USA; American Team quarterback Garrett Nussmeier (13) of LSU throws the ball during American Senior Bowl practice at Hancock Whitney Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Vasha Hunt-Imagn Images

Report: Draft prospect QB Garrett Nussmeier asymptomatic

Posted on | by Field Level Media

A spinal cyst that affected and prematurely ended LSU quarterback Garrett Nussmeier’s 2025 season has been asymptomatic since the Senior Bowl, NFL Network reported Monday.

Medical testing at the NFL Scouting Combine revealed the cyst, which was pressing on a nerve and causing the draft prospect’s oblique pain. Doctors said there is no short- or long-term risk for the injury, per the report.

Should the pain resurface, Nussmeier could undergo a “minimally invasive” procedure to fix the issue which would sideline him for just two to three weeks.

Nussmeier played just nine games last season, seeing a steep drop-off in production as he battled oblique pain, with his passing yards falling from 4,052 in 2024 to 1,927 and his passing touchdowns cut from 29 to 12.

ESPN’s latest seven-round mock draft posted Monday morning has Nussmeier being selected in the third round of this week’s draft by the Los Angeles Rams.

Over parts of five seasons in Baton Rouge, Nussmeier completed 64.0% of his passes for 7,699 yards with 52 TDs and 24 interceptions in 40 games.

–Field Level Media

Feb 27, 2026; Indianapolis, IN, USA; LSU quarterback Garrett Nussmeier (QB13) speaks to members of the media during the NFL Combine at the Indiana Convention Center. Mandatory Credit: Jacob Musselman-Imagn Images

SEC rivals Garrett Nussmeier, Ty Simpson vying to be QB2 in 2026 draft

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Garrett Nussmeier was two practices into the 2025 season when the LSU starting quarterback derailed the entire year.

Nussmeier strained an oblique muscle that limited his ability to not only throw the deep ball but any pass without experiencing shooting pain.

Head coach Brian Kelly didn’t fully disclose the nature of the injury until he began to be pressed about Nussmeier’s health. Eventually Kelly shared more details but was fired before the season ended.

“My injury occurred in fall camp — Day 2, practice two of fall camp. How much did it affect me? I think it was pretty evident,” Nussmeier said of the impact of his injury on his performance. “I really wasn’t able to throw the football. I had a stabbing pain in my ab every time I went to go throw the football.”

The son of Saints offensive coordinator and former NFL quarterback Doug Nussmeier, Garrett Nussmeier had 52 touchdowns and 24 interceptions for the Tigers in his career, throwing for 7,699 yards.

LSU shut him down with three games remaining in the 2025 regular season with 12 touchdowns and five interceptions. It wasn’t the season he envisioned when considering whether to return to LSU after a sensational 2024 campaign.

But he started to rebuild his case as the QB2 in the 2026 draft class at the Senior Bowl. One of his chief competitors for that billing is SEC rival Ty Simpson of Alabama. Simpson said he met with the New York Jets’ brass, which included head coach Aaron Glenn and offensive coordinator Frank Reich, and came away flattered with their appraisal of his talent.

The Jets have the No. 2 pick in the draft behind the Las Vegas Raiders, who are widely expected to use the selection on Heisman Trophy winner and Indiana quarterback Fernando Mendoza.

Whether there is another QB in the draft class worth the freight in the first round has been a common debate. Simpson doesn’t have any doubt after just one year as the starter for Alabama.

“First off, I think I’m ready. I’m a franchise quarterback,” Simpson said. “Alabama prepares you the most for the NFL … The Alabama locker room is as close to an NFL locker room as you can get.”

Among questions from pro suitors for Nussmeier to answer — besides proving his health — are whether he can hold up in the NFL with a relatively small physique and if he has the arm talent to be a QB1.

He said the injury was impossible to heal in-season because rest and gradual rehab weren’t possible while trying to prepare for a game every seven days.

“It was a frustrating deal, and it wasn’t LSU’s fault. It wasn’t the doctor’s fault. They did a great job of taking care of me and the trainers there,” Nussmeier said. “It was just a rare deal. It was just a thing that we really didn’t figure out what it was until about two months ago.”

Nussmeier has mostly recovered physically and regained strength in his core over the past month.

“Feeling much more like myself, which has been exciting,” Nussmeier said. “Learning how to retrain myself, get rid of the bad habits that I had created and just to be able to get to throw the football like I know I can.”

–Field Level Media

Report: LSU OC Charlie Weis Jr. turns away NFL suitors

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Offensive coordinator Charlie Weis Jr. is staying at LSU after interviewing for the same position with the Philadelphia Eagles, The Athletic reported Monday.

Weis, 32, informed the Eagles that he will remain on head coach Lane Kiffin’s staff in Baton Rouge, per the report.

Philadelphia took the title and play-calling duties away from Kevin Patullo following a wild-card loss against the San Francisco 49ers.

Weis was the offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach under Kiffin from 2022-25 at Ole Miss, where he helped in the development of quarterback Jaxson Dart. Weis followed Kiffin to LSU.

Weis, whose namesake father was the head coach at Notre Dame (2005-09) and a longtime NFL assistant coach, was only 24 when he was named as Kiffin’s offensive coordinator at Florida Atlantic in 2018.

He was the offensive coordinator and QBs coach at South Florida from 2020-21 before rejoining Kiffin at Mississippi.

–Field Level Media

Ole Miss star Princewill Umanmielen joins LSU, former coach

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Ole Miss star edge rusher Princewill Umanmielen has elected to transfer to LSU and play for former Rebels coach Lane Kiffin, according to published reports.

Umanmielen posted a report from On3 to his Instagram page that showed him in an LSU uniform.

Umanmielen decided to transfer after the Ole Miss season ended with a 31-27 loss to Miami in the College Football Playoff semifinals on Jan. 8. He had four tackles and a sack in the contest.

Umanmielen had 45 tackles (including 13 for loss), nine sacks and one interception in 15 games for the Rebels last season.

It was his lone season at Ole Miss after playing two seasons for Nebraska.

His older brother, Princely, was a rookie for the Carolina Panthers this season. He split his college career between Florida (2020-23) and Ole Miss (2024).

Umanmielen is the fourth Ole Miss player to follow Kiffin to LSU. The others are linebacker TJ Dottery, offensive lineman Devin Harper and receiver Winston Watkins Jr.

–Field Level Media

Reports: Top transfer QB Sam Leavitt expected to sign with LSU

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Arizona State transfer quarterback Sam Leavitt is expected to sign with Lane Kiffin and LSU after a contested portal recruitment, according to multiple media reports.

Leavitt, the No. 1 player in this year’s portal class according to 247Sports, led the Sun Devils to a Big 12 championship and the College Football Playoff in 2024 before his 2025 season came to an end after seven games due to a foot injury.

Leavitt’s first transfer visit was to LSU before he also made stops at Kentucky, Miami and Tennessee.

Leavitt threw for 4,652 yards, 36 touchdowns and 11 interceptions and rushed for 816 yards and 10 scores over 24 games at Michigan State (2023) and Arizona State (2024-25). He will arrive in Baton Rouge with two years of eligibility remaining but is likely to be considered a top prospect for the 2027 NFL Draft.

Leavitt’s addition is the most impactful of what has been a busy few weeks for Kiffin since he left Ole Miss to take the LSU job Nov. 30.

LSU also landed a commitment from Elon transfer QB Landen Clark on Sunday after the Tigers had no scholarship quarterbacks left on their roster due to graduation and transfer departures.

The Tigers, who have not made the CFP since their last national championship in 2019, have added 23 transfers, including eight wide receivers, per 247Sports.

–Field Level Media

Ole Miss to have LSU coaches on staff for Fiesta Bowl

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LSU granted assistant coaches Charlie Weis Jr. and Kevin Smith permission to continue double duty and work for Ole Miss through the Fiesta Bowl on Thursday.

The offensive coaches have been splitting their focus between LSU and Ole Miss (13-1), which plays Miami (12-2) in the College Football Playoff semifinal in Glendale, Ariz. LSU, now coached by Lane Kiffin, has a lot of irons in the fire as a new coaching staff with the transfer portal open for business.

Ole Miss is not expected to have two other assistants who helped the offense get reads for CFP wins over Tulane and Georgia. Tight ends coach/co-offensive coordinator Joe Cox and receivers coach/passing game coordinator George McDonald are now exclusively working under Kiffin in Baton Rouge.

Weis, the Rebels’ offensive coordinator under Kiffin, and Smith, who is the outgoing running backs coach at Ole Miss, are working both gigs out of loyalty to newly promoted head coach Pete Golding and players they coached and — in some cases — recruited to play in Oxford.

There has been acrimony since Kiffin departed after the Egg Bowl in November, including accusations of stretching facts about his desire to coach the team in the playoff. More recently, Ole Miss director of recruiting MacKenzie Morris fired arrows alleging Kiffin was tampering with former players while they were still preparing for games.

Weis and Smith were with Kiffin on the recruiting trail on Monday before rejoining Ole Miss, according to athletic director Keith Carter.

“Charlie has been awesome, juggling two high-profile jobs. He’s been incredible. We have no complaints,” Carter told ESPN on Tuesday.

Golding said he trusts players “know what to do” regardless of the assistants who are physically present at practice and on gameday.

“It’s going to have no impact on gameday,” he said. “Keep blowing it up and making it a big deal. That’d be great.”

–Field Level Media

Reports: Notre Dame QB Kenny Minchey flips from Nebraska to Kentucky

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Former Notre Dame backup quarterback Kenny Minchey, who had committed to Nebraska a little over 24 hours previously, instead changed his commitment to Kentucky on Monday, multiple outlets reported.

Minchey, who entered the portal Friday, had lost an offseason competition to become the Fighting Irish starting quarterback to eventual starter CJ Carr over the summer.

His playing time, as expected, was subsequently limited, though he did appear in six games, completing 20 of 26 passes for 196 yards. He added seven carries for 84 yards and a touchdown on the ground.

He only appeared in four games over the previous two seasons, preserving an additional year of eligibility in the process. He will be classified as a junior in 2026.

Minchey had originally told ESPN on Sunday that he would be joining Matt Rhule’s Nebraska program. His flip Monday was reported by ESPN, CBS Sports, and On3.

Kentucky needed a quarterback once its previous starter Cutter Boley entered the portal and found a home with Arizona State. Boley paced the Wildcats with 2,160 yards and 15 touchdowns to go along with 12 interceptions in 2025.

Nebraska will now go back into the portal to look for a replacement for Dylan Raiola, who also entered the portal this offseason after guiding Nebraska for much of the past two seasons.

Kentucky had been one of two main pursuers of hot quarterback target Sam Leavitt, formerly of Arizona State, along with LSU. The Tigers, helmed by new coach Lane Kiffin, might well be the leader to acquire Leavitt now with Kentucky acquiring Minchey and the Tigers previously missing out on Cincinnati’s Brendan Sorsby, who chose Texas Tech.

–Field Level Media

Report: Top transfer QB Sam Leavitt visiting LSU

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Quarterback Sam Leavitt, the top player in the On3 transfer portal rankings, is visiting LSU on Monday and Tuesday, per On3.

Leavitt spent the past two seasons at Arizona State. His 2025 season was cut short after seven games by a foot injury that required surgery.

New LSU head coach Lane Kiffin is in need of a starting QB. The position was filled last season by Garrett Nussmeier, who is out of eligibility, and sophomore Michael Van Buren Jr. He has entered the portal.

Leavitt previously visited Kentucky.

In 2024, Leavitt led Arizona State to the Big 12 title and an appearance in the College Football Playoff as he threw for 2,885 yards, 24 touchdowns and six interceptions in 13 games.

In seven appearances in 2025, Leavitt completed 60.7% of his passes for 1,628 yards, 10 TDs and three picks.

Leavitt started his college career in 2023 at Michigan State and attempted just 23 passes before transferring to the Sun Devils. He has two seasons of eligibility remaining.

–Field Level Media

Report: QB Brendan Sorsby to visit LSU, Texas Tech

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Former Cincinnati quarterback Brendan Sorsby, one of the top signal-callers available in the transfer portal, is set to make visits to LSU and Texas Tech, ESPN reported Friday.

Sorsby is ranked as ESPN’s best available player in the transfer portal. There are more than 4,000 players available in the portal, according to the report.

Sorsby threw for 2,800 yards and 27 touchdowns with five interceptions in 12 games as the Bearcats went 7-5. He also ran for 580 yards and nine scores.

In three full Division I seasons, Sorsby has passed for 7,200 yards and 60 touchdowns. He was at Cincinnati for two seasons after playing in 2023 at Indiana. He also had three completions during one game at Indiana in 2022.

Texas Tech advanced to the current College Football Playoff but lost 23-0 to Oregon in the quarterfinals Thursday. The Red Raiders had just 137 passing yards in the defeat.

LSU finished 7-6 after firing head coach Brian Kelly in October. Lane Kiffin was hired as the new LSU head coach, leaving Ole Miss, which remains alive in the playoffs.

The Tigers’ last CFP appearance was their national title following the 2019 season.

–Field Level Media